Brake shoe key anchorage



mm l M/ M Aug; 29, 1939.

G. F. JACKSON Patented Aug. 29, 1939 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE SHOE KEY ANCHORAGE George F. Jackson, Toledo, Ohio Application August 5, 1938, Serial No. 223,166

4 Claims. (Cl. 18S-243) This invention relates to anchorage of brake shoe keys.

This invention has utility when incorporated in special form brake shoe keys as positively cooperating with the brake head in holding a brake shoe therewith.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention showing in dotted lines features of deformation and cooperating actuating means;

Fig. 2 is a section through a brake shoe as for railway rolling stock and the brake head therefor as suspended from the hanger with the cooperating shoe of the invention herein; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the mid-length seat in the key on the line III- 111, Fig. 1.

In railway rolling stock, swinging arm I may position brake head 2. The brake head 2 has an abrupt ledge forming a shoulder 3 provided with way 4 having arc portion 5 on radius 6. In this: way 4 there is located aligned eyes l, 8, to abut back side of brake shoe 9 between upper terminal ledge I and lower terminal ledge II. Mid-way the length of this shoe 9 is eye I2 intermediate the eyes l, 8, of the head and at clearance region I3. The way 4 has arc of conguration to nest in the are 5.

Brake shoe key, herein shown, has return bend head I4 with abrupt offset terminus I5 to rest on the shoulder 3. This key portion is of strong wrought metal or steel. It is of uniform crosssection. This uniform cross-section is about the return bend I4, and in body portion I6. Therefrom is taper portion II, intermediate notch having upper shoulder I8 as one terminus of seat I9 and lower, more shallow terminus 20. This notch is adapted toengage snugly with eye portion I2 of the brake shoe. This occurs only when key side 2|, of curvature less radius 22 than the radius 6, is flexed by the head portion I4 being against the ledge I0 as the thin remote terminus 23 of the key is flexed by the ledge II. This key, as driven down at the head I4 into the way, is accordingly deformed by being spread between` the ledges or lugs I0, II. The seat I9 is snapped to engage the eye I2. The head I4 is impacted to such an extent that the lower end of the key mounts on the lower terminal II and the terminus I5 of the key is snugly against the shoulder 3. 'Thereby is effected a tension in stretching the portion I6 of the body into this snapped-in holding position with the eye I2. Notwithstanding there be abrupt handling under great strains not only from pressure applied but from speed, this key is so anchored as to the intertting lugs and of the aligned eyes in this interlock assembly that no vibration is introduced from these unusual handlings even under great load strains or speed strains as brought into use.

However, in the event the shoe becomes worn excessively to require replacement, or be broken, or there be other occasion for substitution, or call for 4disturbing the relation between the brake shoeand brake head, it is only necessary to insert tool 24 in the eye 'I on the side of the key away from the curvature 2l, thereby deforming the key against the spread action between the ledges II), II, to such an extent that the shallow terminus 2!) is suiliciently clear oi the eye I2 that the tension strain applied at the return bend I4 tends to pull or snap the key to such extent upward that this seat I9 is out of register with the eye I2. The key is thus sufficiently removed from its interlock as to be readily withdrawn for replacement with different shoe, or as may be desired.

This means there is not necessarily mutilation or destruction of the key, the head, or the shoe in effecting the bringing into or taking out of assembly therebetween, while there is a resulting effective anchorage to withstand the most adverse traffic hazards.

Bevel 25 at the shoulder terminus 2U of the seat I9 is of such angle of slant as to be helpful in directing the released key outward so that by then grasping the head I4 the key may be readily cleared from the head and the shoe released to drop away. The removal of the key by tool 24 may be aided by striking the terminus 23 with a hammer or other suitable tool.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Brake construction of the class described including a brake head and a brake shoe having intertting lugs providing a series of aligned eyes, and a brake shoe key having a return bend ,with its terminus against the brake head and its body therefrom extending through said eyes to assemble the brake shoe with the brake head, said key having a uniform cross-section body from said head to a seat at approximately midlength position thereof, said seat adapted to engage one of the intertting lugs but normally directed through the head a different distance than such lug so engagement therewith places the key under tension between the return bend terminus and the seat.

2. Brake construction of the class described includingV a brake head having a lug providing an eye, and a brake shoe having terminal ledges and an intermediate lug providing an eye, said eyes and ledges in an alignment having a rst radius, and a brake shoe key normally having a second radius shorter than the rst radius and having a head abutting the brake head and one of said ledges to extend therefrom through said eyes terminating in a relatively exible remote terminus abutting the other ledge, and a seat in said key intermediate its length engaging one of the lugs of said shoe, said key in assembled position exed from normal to the first radius to thereby supplement seat in holding position with the said lug.

3. Brake construction of the class described including a brake head having a pair of lugs, a brake shoe having terminal ledges and a lug intertting said brake head lugs, each of said lugs providing eyes in alignment and together with said ledges disposed along an arc having a rst radius, a brake shoe key normally having an arc with a second radius shorter than the first radius and provided With a head having its terminus against the brake head and arched therefrom to form a return bend from which the head extends through said eyes, said key maintaining a uniform cross-section at least through said shoe lug-provided-eye and terminating in a relatively flexible remote terminus abutting the other ledge, a seat in said key which is normally .at a less distance from the key head than the brake lug-provided-eye and which, when said seat and eye are forced into engagement, the key between the seat and key head terminus is under longitudinal tension and the whole key is under additional tension by said assembly spreading the termini thereof into the first radius.

4. A brake shoe key comprising a unit having a return bend head with the body extending therefrom to terminate in a taper portion thereby increasing the relative ilexibility at one end thereof, and a notch laterally across a face of the key approximately intermediate its length, said key maintaining an approximate uniform crosssection through the head and at least to said notch, said notch on one side having an abrupt shoulder to form a seat and on the opposing side a. bevel outwardly toward the key face.

GEORGE F. JACKSON. 

